Bridging the Divide on Al Qursaya Island, Mediating conflicts through design

This thesis aims to investigate the potential of design as a tool for mediation within the dimensions of social spatial systems architecture takes form in, focusing on the specific case of Al Qursaya Island in Cairo. This is done through the exploration of small-scale design systems that address the issues of territorial mechanisms. Positioned at the nexus of urban density and rural self-sufficiency, Al Qursaya faces dual pressures: the threat of eviction due to its high-value land status and the community's reliance on self-sustaining livelihoods amidst limited infrastructure. These tensions are compounded by competing stakeholder interests—government aspirations for tourism and economic gain versus residents’ desires for security, autonomy, and livelihood preservation. The design explores mediating disputes of abandonment, self-sufficiency and environment of a city as complicated as Cairo, analysed through fieldwork within the context of Al Qursaya. Drawing on Albena Yaneva’s Five Ways to Make Architecture Political, this thesis conceptualizes architecture as an active mediator, shaping relationships between stakeholders, material arrangements, and urban realities. Emphasizing architecture’s role as a site of negotiation and transformation, transcending its traditional function as a reflection of power. This thesis positions design as a tool for empowerment and reconnection; allowing architecture to stand resilient against the test of time and proposing strategies that attempt to reconcile ownership disputes, enhance community livelihoods and mediate between divergent stakeholder motives. Addressing these issues demonstrates the potential for architecture to act as a catalyst for connection.